On Saturday night, UFC fighter Renato Moicano spoke with his fists. After winning the battle, he grabbed the microphone and spoke some powerful words.
Moicano came back from what looked like a sure loss in a fight with Jalyn Turner and made a thrilling comeback by finishing off Jalyn Turner with strikes at UFC 300.
Renato Moicano’s ground and pound finish Ὃ#UFC300 pic.twitter.com/fr6cm5xKZo
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) April 14, 2024
But the fireworks continued as the Brazilian grabbed the microphone from Joe Rogan during the winner’s interview and unleashed a pro-American rant.
“I’m a huge supporter of the First Amendment, and of course I want a $300,000 bonus, but they’re not going to give it to me. Somebody said, ‘This is Disney shit, you can’t curse.’ I’m going to give a ‘I’m not going’ speech, but first of all, I love America, I love the Constitution, I love the First Amendment, damn it. You want to carry all the guns, you love private property, if you care about yourself, this country, read Ludwig von Mises and the Six Lessons of the Austrian School of Economics, asshole. ”
I love the Constitution. I love the First Amendment.
I can not do it. I can afford it. lose.
Money Moicano’s post-match speech >> #UFC300 pic.twitter.com/yohQvWQFtq
— Spinnin Backfist (@SpinninBackfist) April 14, 2024
If you have money to pay for a UFC fighter who screams support for Ludwig Von Mises, come to the table and collect your winnings.
What Moicano is saying here is great. And it’s great to hear professional athletes passionately support what makes this country great. But just as importantly, he is allowed to say it.
Political rants in the stick and ball leagues of the NFL, NBA, and MLB are almost universally anti-American, and while some rants are ostensibly pro-American, their content is rather lukewarm. Here, the Brazilian fighter issues a strong statement of support, but he is not immune to any repercussions. And even if he didn’t say something kind about America, even if it was unpleasant, he wouldn’t have suffered any repercussions.
The UFC is the last bastion of actual free speech in American sports, and it needs to be respected, regardless of what anyone thinks about the sport or the people who run it.
